DANNYL.

GIVENS

Activist & Orator

Danny Givens is a heartfelt activist and orator who received a life changing gift of forgiveness from an off-duty police officer he shot during a botched robbery in 1996. Propelled by forgiveness, Danny began his journey toward reconciliation and resiliency prior to his release from incarceration in 2008. He later went on to receive his B.A. in Christian Ministry from Bethel University in 2011, accompanied by a three-year residency as an Interfaith Minister at Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2016.

Danny is now the Senior Pastor of Above Every Name Ministries, a young cutting edge congregation in the Twin Cities that prides itself in being a “Church for the People.” An advocate for Racial Justice in black, brown, and indigenous communities, Danny devotes his time to the #BlackLivesMatterMpls movement in the role of Clergy Liaison. Parallel to activist work, he is one of the Founding Members of Black Clergy United for Change (BCUC), a collective of black clergy committed to the work of Racial Justice and Social Transformation in urban communities. In addition to the litany of actions and peaceful demonstrations Danny has organized, he continues to convene tables where traditional and non-traditional faith leaders covenant to work at the intersections of faith, race, and justice. Danny provides racial justice consulting for congregations using a praxis curriculum he created for faith leaders looking to deepen justice work from the pulpit and beyond.

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Over the years Mr. Givens has received multiple awards for his grassroots organizing and justice work including the following but not limited to: TakeAction Minnesota - Leadership Award 2015, OutFront Minnesota - Justice Award 2016, Interfatih In Action of Greater St. Paul - Local Legend Award 2016, and Kaleo Center for Faith, Justice and Social Transformation - Lifetime Achievement Award 2016.

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A native of the historic Rondo community in St. Paul, Minnesota, Danny values moments of adventure and spontaneity amidst local and international travels with his wife Natasha. Between travels and meaningful time with family, he continues to lend his voice personally and professionally to diverse audiences across the country. Danny now resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife and three children.